


senior management

by blessings



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Datekougyou | Date Tech, Gen, HQ Brofest Rookie Tier, Humor, Nametsu Mai Presents the Roast of Futakuchi Kenji, why is everything i do an accidental character study
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 06:38:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14207295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blessings/pseuds/blessings
Summary: During her last year as Datekou's manager, Mai meets Yachi and finally gets the disciple she deserves. Futakuchi’s gonna be so jealous when she tells him.





	senior management

Mai humbly considers herself to be the key to every single one of Datekou’s victories. She’ll even take the credit that is offered to her (not out loud, but in a more spiritual sense) for the wins that haven’t happened yet. The victories of volleyball games past, present, and future belong to her. 

For someone so integral to Datekou’s success, Mai finds herself holding her captain’s disgusting gym bag in her hands more often than anyone should have to suffer through.

“Hey, Stupid-kuchi!” Mai storms through the hallways of Sendai City Gym on a mission, and crowds part for her like they know it. “Come get your bag before the government confiscates it to be studied!”

She stops in front of a team packing up their _own_ bags like responsible volleyball players, instead of leaving them for their manager to pick up. (It's the Interhigh. _Every_ member of the team is stressed. That's what the sports drinks are for.) 

She quickly corrects her assessment - and her approach - when she sees the telltale yellow banner draped over their manager’s arms instead.

“Hello,” she says kindly, clearing her throat for their attention. “I’m looking for my dumbass. Have you seen him?”

“Um.” The captain blinks slowly at her. Typical party school kids. Everything needs to be repeated.

“He’s about _this_ tall,” Mai elaborates, waving her hand somewhere above her head. “Which is short for a volleyball player in my opinion, but whatever. He has brown hair that hasn’t been cool since 2006, a depraved look in his eyes, and also he’s Datekou’s captain, but I didn’t vote for him.”

Johzenji’s captain points tentatively at Ennoshita Chikara where he stands near a water fountain. Ennoshita pours water over his head and levels them with a dead stare.

“Good try!” Mai says encouragingly, and books it out of there before either of them can realize they should be offended.

She’s still in search of Futakuchi - or at least a smarter team to direct her to him - when she tears around a corner and collides with something much too small to be safe at a volleyball tournament. Something wet soaks through her sleeve, Futakuchi’s bag getting the worst of it ( _ha_ ) and Mai nearly stumbles to the ground, but it’s all overshadowed by a terrified squeaking sound. 

“Oh no- I’m so- that was so- sorry! Clumsy!”

Mai holds her hands up in defense against the barrage of apologies. The small blonde girl falls silent in front of her. Mai recognizes that black uniform, but she’s never learned Karasuno’s manager’s name. 

“Is this water?” Mai asks carefully, examining her sleeve.

The girl nods pitifully, as if water is the worst thing Mai has been doused with. Futakuchi is a big fan of the bucket-of-liquid-over-the-clubroom-door prank.

“Then it’ll dry! No worries,” Mai reassures her, secretly pleased that Futakuchi’s gym bag is a little cleaner than it was before getting splashed. “What was your name?”

“Yachi! Yachi Hitoka!” she announces, as if desperate to avoid making another mistake.

“Nametsu Mai,” Mai says, sticking her hand out. Yachi takes it tentatively and Mai jerks it up and down briskly. She’s been told she has a stellar handshake. 

“I really am sorry,” Yachi tries again. “I can- buy you a new tracksuit?”

Mai is debating taking her up on that offer (she’s always wanted one with her name embossed in glitter on the back) when someone clears their throat behind her. 

“Huh? Oh, hey Aone,” Mai says offhandedly, turning back to Yachi and immediately fanning her with Futakuchi’s bag. She’d gone terribly pale.

“Mai.” Aone’s familiar monotone does nothing to help the situation. “We found Futakuchi.”

“Did he have his arm stuck in the vending machine again?” Mai asks distractedly, more focused on calculating the exact angle Yachi’s neck makes when she looks up at Aone.

An affirmative grunt answers her question.

“Well, he left all his money in his bag,” Mai sighs. “Of course he would turn to crime.” 

“We’re packing up now,” Aone says. Yachi still looks like she wants to run but doesn’t know how to do it without offending Aone.

“Yeah, gimme a sec,” Mai says. “Me and Yachi here are traversing the boundaries that separate teams! Forging new ground! Celebrating the power of friendship- and he’s gone, okay.”

Futakuchi can’t give an inspirational speech for shit so Mai had to teach herself. She’s gotten pretty good at it, she thinks, but Aone is a tough audience.

“One of these days I’ll make him cry,” Mai mutters, then turns back to Yachi. “What was that about a tracksuit, again?”

Yachi resumes breathing. “Oh, um, since I ruined yours...”

Mai’s arm is already dry. She can’t keep the jig up. “Ah, never mind. You didn’t have to go yet, right?”

She leans against the wall casually, an aloof expression carefully arranged on her face, but truthfully she hasn’t talked to someone _normal_ in so long. If Yachi leaves, Mai is going with her. She’ll transfer schools if she has to. 

“Not yet, but isn’t your team waiting?” Yachi says. _Score_.

“They can’t function without me. I have at least ten minutes before they remember how to untie their shoes.” 

“Oh.” Yachi doesn’t seem certain of how to respond to that politely.

“And besides.” Mai waves her hand over the top of Yachi’s head. “This is nice. This is a nice change.”

“Thank you?”

Mai nods sagely. At least someone here has manners.

“So. You're Karasuno’s manager, right?” Mai asks, with sympathy.

Yachi bobs her head up and down. “And you're... _Datekou’s_ manager,” she says warily, glancing over Mai’s shoulder in the direction of the muffled shouting that suggests some poor soul had slapped their hand over Futakuchi’s mouth, thank god, but Mai notices from the tilt of her head that she's only looking at Aone. 

Huh. She guesses, from an outside perspective, that Aone would look like the most threatening player. Mai knows better, though.

“Yeah, they’re the worst,” Mai says fondly. “Especially Futakuchi. Wouldn't trade him for any other captain, though. Have you _seen_ Seijou?”

Yachi nods even more furiously.

“The poor vice-captain was basically their unofficial manager with how often he carried Oikawa around last year.” 

Yachi giggles. Mai immediately pulls her cellphone out of her pocket.

“Please be my friend,” she says seriously, blindly thrusting the phone in Yachi’s direction. _No one_ at Datekou appreciates her sense of humor. Sure, Futakuchi is good for some banter, but he’s an easy target. Mai wants a challenge.

“Oh!” Yachi exclaims in surprise, but it's a happy surprise, like birthday cakes and Futakuchi tripping in front of the whole school. “Okay!”

Mai subtly clenches her fist. _Nice kill._

Yachi enters her number quickly, adding the sunflower emoji after her name and oh no, Mai’s protective instincts are kicking in.

“I’ll text you later, okay?” Mai says. “We can chat more, just one manager to another.”

“Yeah, I’ll look forward to it.” Yachi smiles softly. “It was really nice meeting you, Nametsu-san! Sorry again about the water.” 

She runs off to manage Karasuno, leaving Mai collapsed against the wall with her hand over her heart. She had never been exposed to such kindness, such shining optimism before. Yachi's smile was like the sun - so bright Mai possibly lost the ability to see out of her left eye.

She holds her phone close. Right after she gets home- no, maybe on the bus- how soon is too soon to tell someone that they’re going to be your best friend?

“Mai, did I hear someone call for a Stupid-kuchi earlier?” A slimy voice startles her out of her peaceful thoughts. 

“It was your mom,” Mai replies, and makes Futakuchi pay by throwing his damp gym bag in his face.

**Author's Note:**

> yeah man i just really like writing mai interacting with people so this is gonna be more of that. there's, like, character development planned, but the roasting takes priority
> 
> i watch naruto now [kyouken.carrd.co](http://kyouken.carrd.co)


End file.
